The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department’s new top cop assumed command this week, and the former state police commander is excited for a fresh start.

So too are the officers now under her command. Brenda Bernot spent 28 years with the Pennsylvania State Police. She retired at the rank of captain in January 2012, as the commander of Troop J, which covers Lancaster and Chester counties.

The 51-year-old West Whiteland resident just finished her first week as the regional department’s new police chief, and already a new sense of optimism has overtaken the once troubled police department.

Most of the department’s officers were present, in full dress uniform, at Monday night’s oath-taking ceremony. Bernot said the gesture made her even more excited to take over.

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“That was a real morale booster for me, to see that level of support, and to see that the detectives came in and put a uniform on and that officers who were off duty came in to meet me and show up for the ceremony,” Bernot said. “If I had any doubts, and I did not, that I was moving into the right department, that really was almost emotional for me. I know what’s gone on in these communities, and they have every reason to be suspicious, resistant, or whatever adjective that you want to have, there hasn’t been any of that.”

Last year a dispute over a police labor contract nearly led to the disbandment of WEGO, the only regional police department in Chester County.

Elected officials from East Goshen and Westtown, the department’s charter-member townships, pointed to a distressed pension system they say was on the brink of causing a local financial crisis. Police officers, represented by the department’s police association, felt the townships were asking for too many concessions related to their healthcare and retirement plans.

At times the dispute grew emotional, often personal. There were feelings of distrust and anger, but in the end a compromise was reached that led to a new six-year labor contract for the department’s police officers.

When Bernot addressed the public, the police department, and township officials after she was sworn in Monday, she did not hesitate to acknowledge the quarrel and vow to help all sides move past it. When asked about her reasoning for publicly addressing the past dispute, Bernot said it was the only way to move forward.

“You can never ignore the elephant in the room; it never ends well when you do,” Bernot said in reference to her earlier comments. “I think a lot of people thought that was inappropriate, but I don’t. I thought that it was important because I wanted the communities to know that I am aware of the history. Part of where you go, part of what you’re doing now, will always be based on the history. So you have to look at where we’ve been to look at where we’re going.”

The department has operated without a permanent leader for nearly a year. The former police chief, John Dummond, retired last summer just as the contract dispute was beginning to escalate. East Whiteland Police Chief Eugene Dooley was brought on as interim chief when Dummond retired, and two sergeants, both 25 year veterans of the force, were promoted to the rank of lieutenant to help shoulder the command.

After the new labor deal was signed, the search for a permanent chief resumed. The townships had begun the process once before early in 2012, but uncertainty over the department’s future stalled the effort. The new search did not always go smoothly. Some residents and police supporters harbored leftover feelings of bitterness and distrust, holdovers from last year’s public saga that cast doubt on future livelihoods of many police families. There was an internal candidate fiercely advocated for by a vocal group of supporters, but in the end he was not considered for the position.

When the search concluded and Brenda Bernot was identified as the final selection, no one could dispute the qualifications that led to her hiring.

She commanded 260 state troopers and civilian personnel spread across four barracks and two counties. She holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from St. Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s from Penn State. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Va., and was an associate professor at the Valley Forge Military Academy.

Bernot said she was thrilled when she discovered the quality of the operation and personnel already in place. She said her main goal was to ensure that the communities covered by WEGO are satisfied with the service they receive.

“I want to be comfortable that we’re providing the service that the public wants,” she said. “I want to reassess what they want from us, and then I want to fine tune our goals toward meeting those demands.”

The new chief said she plans to “fine tune” the department’s existing operation to ensure it’s running as efficiently as possible. She said she relishes the opportunity to improve an already high-functioning police department.

“The easiest place to get assigned to is the problem place, because no matter what you do you look good because you can make it better,” Bernot said. “The hardest assignment you’ll ever have is to go in into a department that is very high functioning. Do you just continue to steer the boat? Or do you try to make it better?”

Westtown Supervisors Chairman Tom Haws and East Goshen Supervisors Chairman Senya Isayeff echoed sentiments of optimism this week. They said officials from both townships were thrilled by Bernot’s enthusiasm and the response of the department’s officers, and look forward to the department’s new future.

“Our partnership is stronger than it’s ever been and we’re looking forward to carrying the momentum forward,” Haws said. “I hope that under Brenda’s leadership we can solidify our reputation as one of the finest departments in the region.”